Conquering Fear: Before the Devil Dared
by Van-El II
Summary: Before he became the Guardian Devil of Hell's Kitchen and an attorney in a small firm, Matthew Murdock was a blind boy with little to be certain of instead of darkness and fear. That all changed when he met Stick...


_**Conquering Fear – Before the Devil Dared**_

_Disclaimer (Lengthy):_  
"_Daredevil_" and its principal protagonist, Matthew Murdock, were originally created by Stan Lee and Bill Everett. Stick was originally created by Frank Miller during his run on the same title. Both characters are published and licensed by Marvel Comics which is jointly owned by Marvel Entertainment and Marvel Publishing.

This work is not intended for commercial use, and no permission is granted for reproduction of the text of this fiction on any other website without the express permission of the author. This is a fan work made by fans, for fans for entertainment reward only, and no money was made through the production and distribution of this work. Immediate removal of this work will occur upon presentation of a reasonable and legal request from the above named parties and their representatives, or the action of a DMCA notice.

_Disclaimer (Short):_  
I don't own any of the characters or places, I merely have them on unauthorized loan - but I promise to return them if and when anyone from the above list (or one of their legal representatives) asks me to.

_Warnings:_ None_  
Spoilers:_ None, though inspired by elements from **Daredevil #168-191, Daredevil: Born Again, Daredevil: The Man Without Fear **_  
Characters:_ Matthew Murdock, Stick_  
Pairings:_ None_  
Word Count: _554_  
Beta Acknowledgments:_ HTBThomas, for her invaluable insight (pun not intended)._  
Initial Publication Date:_ February 10, 2008

* * *

The sudden appearance of a stranger in his own home had unsettled Matt, sending a chill of terror down his spine. Scrabbling for his cane, his only means of navigation, the boy pleaded, "Whoever you are, I need the cane! Don't you see I'm blind?"

"While your eyes may have failed you, you are not blind. What you have yet to realize, Matthew, is that you simply cannot see..."

CRACK!

Through a haze of both dizziness and pain, Matt growled, "Ow! That hurt, you bastard!"

"Merely an aid to your learning - everything you need to dodge or block the path of my staff striking your skull is at your disposal: your remaining senses and your common sense. If you don't want me to hurt you, use them." The smugness in this old man's voice was telling. The tone and timbre grated on Matt's nerves so much so that it felt almost like emery paper.

CRACK!

A grunt of pain escaped the young man's throat as the stinging sensation of the wooden staff was flung against his head, just above his temple.

"Oh well, I suppose the third time is always the charm..."

At those words, Matt cringed and scurried backwards, feeling his way along the surface of the kitchen floor until he had backed himself against the cupboards. Once he was sure his back was protected, he raised his hands to cover his face.

Stick's voice called out from somewhere to Matt's left, "It surprises me that you have learned fear so easily: especially for one so determined to beat the odds and become a lawyer or a doctor."

Matt could now hear as well as feel his own heartbeat pounding heavily, but he noticed the ever-so-quiet sliding of sandals on the linoleum floor. Footsteps getting closer now.

"When babes learn to take their first steps, they do not give up at the first fall – the first sign of pain or injury. They get up. They learn to walk, learn to run, learn to leap. They are fearless," Stick said. "If you want your cane back, you will have to re-learn how to live as others do – just as any infant would. The first step for that is learning how to avoid me hitting you on the head."

This time Matt could make out the faint rasp in Stick's breathing and feel the formerly unnoticed vibrations from his footfalls. Listening intently to try and gain his bearings, the boy stood up and faced his tormentor. There! The telltale whoosh of the staff and the sensation of rushing air as the path of the swing took it towards the top of Matt's head.

It was with a short sense of elation when Matt realized he had leaned back to avoid the swing – without either going far enough back to fall, and only just enough to avoid the strike by what he felt was a hair's breadth.

The feeling was abruptly arrested when he felt his legs taken from under him with the sweep of what he thought must be a leg. The wind knocked out of him as he toppled onto his back. "Good. Don't let that fearlessness give way to overconfidence." Gasping for breath, Matt could not retort to the next thing Stick said.

"Get up and let's try that again."


End file.
